Hurricane Season In Hawaii

After reading my article about the best time to visit Hawaii, Daniel asked if hurricane season should be avoided in Hawaii. I thought it was such a good question that deserved its own research and post.

Hawaii’s hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. According to this chart, there have been no hurricanes recorded in the entire Central Pacific region in the month of June and very few in the months of October and November. August and September are the peak months for hurricanes in Central Pacific. Please note that the chart is for the entire Central Pacific and not just for Hawaii.

The first officially tracked hurricane in Hawaii, Hurricane Hiki, was recorded in August 1950. Since 1950, only five hurricanes or tropical storms have resulted in any serious damage to Hawaii. The most recent damage-causing hurricane to hit Hawaii was in 1992 with Hurricane Iniki. With this data, we can conclude that hurricanes are relatively rare events in the Hawaiian Islands.

For more information on hurricanes in Hawaii, please see:

Hurricanes in Hawaii – historic data published by the University of Hawaii Department of Meteorology

2 comments

It probably bears mentioning that the cooler temperatures of the waters around the BIg Island means that hurricanes that draw near lose their power and dissipate without making landfall. If you have had the pleasure of swimming in Big Island oceans, say at Hapuna, you will likely agree that the coolness is not particularly detectable there. Waters on the east side are full of natural springs, and are cooler close in. Very refreshing on a hot island day.

There is no Hurricane Season in Hawaii.In over 150 years only 3 hurricanes have directly hit Hawaii and those were directly over Kaua’i with some residul effects along the Waianae coast of O’ahu. The Big Isle, Maui, Moloka’i, and Lana’i have never been struck by a hurricane and have suffered little’ if any, residual effects from a passing hurricane. A far better and more accurate statement would be a North/Central Pacific Hurricane Season which could affect Hawaii, however unlikely.